Purbalingga BPBD Begins Mitigating Drought from Godzilla El Niño Impact

The Purbalingga Regency Government in Central Java has begun mitigating drought during the 2026 dry season, marked by the Godzilla El Niño phenomenon. The Acting Head of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Purbalingga, Revon Haprindiat, stated that these anticipatory measures aim to minimise the impacts of prolonged dry weather as predicted by the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).

‘Several preparations have already been undertaken, one of which is through coordination meetings with PDAM, PMI, and Baznas to ensure the availability of clean water supplies for the community,’ he said on Wednesday (8/4).

The BPBD is preparing a decree (SK) to designate drought and forest and land fire (karhutla) status as a basis for accelerating handling if emergency conditions arise.

To strengthen these efforts, the BPBD is submitting additional budget requests to the local government and ensuring the readiness of the clean water distribution fleet. ‘We have checked the fleet’s readiness so it can be deployed immediately when needed,’ he added.

In determining priority areas, the BPBD refers to data from extreme drought incidents during the 2023 dry season. At that time, 91 villages or urban villages in 16 sub-districts were affected, with a total clean water distribution of 2,597 tanks or approximately 11.6 million litres over 108 days.

This distribution was carried out by mobilising BPBD tankers, supported by vehicles from PDAM and PMI. ‘This data serves as our reference for determining priority areas, especially those routinely experiencing clean water crises during the dry season,’ he emphasised.

The BPBD is also conducting a re-mapping of water sources following the floods and landslides that occurred at the end of January 2026. One affected source, the Sikopyah spring, can now be utilised by the community again, although it is still in the permanent repair stage.

‘For now, it can already be used by residents, and it is currently in the process of repairs to make it more optimal,’ he explained.

In addition to the drought threat, the Purbalingga BPBD is increasing vigilance against potential karhutla, especially in the slopes of Mount Slamet, which are prone to fires during the dry season.

Prevention efforts, he said, are being carried out through socialisation and education to the public about the dangers of karhutla and the importance of environmental conservation.

‘We are also preparing technical readiness and regulations as anticipatory steps if forest or land fires occur,’ he concluded.